10 Ways to Stay Motivated during your Fitness Journey

August 29, 2016

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and alli® weight loss aid. All opinions are mine alone. #alliInMyLife #Before #CollectiveBias

Weight is something I have struggled with most of my life, and after 3 kids, it surely hasn’t gotten any easier. I actually like working out. Maybe not the first few days, but once I get settled into a routine and keep it going it is just a part of my day that I enjoy. The single biggest deterrent for me is actually starting…. Right, doing that very first workout! It is hard! But you do it and it makes you feel good and after a short time you start seeing results and that gives you that excitement to keep it going!

So then what’s the problem?

The problem is that there are temptations all around us. Temptation to skip workouts, temptation to eat cookies instead of carrots, drink soda instead of water.

So today is day one of this new journey. I figured I’d spare you from seeing a “before” in a bikini. We’ve been there and I know you don’t want to see it again! But here is what I look like today, fully clothed.

I had my 14 year old take my pictures and he told me to “say cheeseburgers”. Little stinker!

I know that staying motivated during your weight loss journey isn’t easy. So today I am trying to set you up with a couple of tips and tools to help you and me!

Here are 10 Ways to Stay Motivated during your fitness journey:

“Before and after” pictures, weight and measurements

I understand that you may not want a “before” picture to look back on. But I am here to tell you that Yes, you do! When you get down the road, and maybe are struggling, looking back on that before photo, or your measurements and see how far you have come, could just be that breaking point to get you back on track.

Find an accountability partner.

Find someone that can help you stay on track. Don’t have someone? Find me on Instagram and follow me. Tell me you need an accountability partner and I will follow you back and be that partner for you! (follow me here)

Keep track of your water intake (And don’t drink your calories)

I know drinking water can sometimes be hard. Some people don’t like it, and most people don’t get enough! You should really be drinking half of your body weight in oz! Yeah, I know that is a lot! I love water but even I don’t get the amount I need every day. So to mix it up I will add cucumber and lemon. That is my favorite combo. But sometimes I add fruit, like oranges and strawberries just to make it different.

One thing I do is fill up a gallon jug to keep me on track!

Meal prep and keep track of your food (cook at home)

Meal prepping isn’t for everyone. But it is a key to my success and when I meal prep I do so much better with my food intake. I end up with containers full of fresh fruit and veggies that I can easily pack into a small container if I am going somewhere and it helps me avoid temptations, like running through a drive-thru!

And doesn’t this all look delicious?

Work out every day

I know, it is hard! You work, you have kids to take care of, you go to school, or maybe you do all of the above… But you can find easy workouts that you can do each day. Even if it means getting up 30 minutes earlier to get your workout in before you have to head out the door, going for a walk during your lunch break, working out with your kids sitting right next to you. But find the time to get it in!

Limit what you are eating late in the evening. (apples and pb, veggies, string cheese, greek yogurt)

I am terrible at taking this piece of advice! Come late in the evening I get my kids in bed and my husband and I raid the fridge and pantry. We are pulling out ice cream, candy, chips, whatever we need to fulfil that craving. But that is partly where the meal planning comes in. Plan to have snacks for in the evening like Greek yogurt and add some fruit into it. Or eat a string cheese, or have apple slices with peanut butter.

Don’t let the weekend ruin your progress

Another hard one for me! We don’t typically eat out during the week. So if we’re going to do it it’s going to happen on the weekend. And I am not very good about eating from the “healthy” menu! But you don’t want to spend all week eating great and exercising and then ruining all your progress on the weekend. So limit your alcohol, skip the fried food, take a healthier option to your friends BBQ.

Celebrate your “non scale victories”

Not sure what a non scale victory is? It is when your clothes start to fit you better. When you realize you are having less cravings. Maybe you are sleeping better or push ups don’t feel quite so hard. Celebrate those milestones because it means that you are doing something right.

Reward yourself. But not with food.

I made a chart before summer to keep track of not only my weight loss, but the milestones I wanted to hit and the rewards I would give myself once I hit them. Have you ever heard that quote, “Don’t reward yourself with food, you’re not a dog!” And that is the truth. Reward yourself with something fun like a new pair of jeans, or getting a pedicure!

Remember you are doing this for YOU!

YOU are the most important part of this journey. When you get discouraged remind yourself of why you are doing this. Is it so you can keep up with your kids? Is it so that you can rock any outfit you choose? Is it to be healthy? No matter the reason it always comes back to doing it for yourself.

Use this Activity and Intake Log to keep track of what you are doing to work out, eat and drink!

Do you already do any of these things? What works to keep you motivated?

*I am not a doctor and you should consult your physician before starting on any weight loss journey*

*alli® (orlistat 60 mg capsules) is for weight loss in overweight adults, 18 years and older, when used along with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet. Follow label directions. In studies, most people lost 5-10 pounds over 6 months.

Thank you, I am at the same place you started and I love your tips and enthusiasm! It is wonderful to see something like this coming from a REAL person not the Jillian Michaels of the world! I know I can do it…I’ve done it before BUT menopause is the major culprit now…aaarrrgh…no excuses…just need to DO IT!! Thank you again…I AM INSPIRED! <3 M

You know what’s awesome to snack on at night after the kids go to bed?!?! Frozen blueberries! Get them fresh at Costco, rinse and freeze (pre-frozen are gross) – when you want to snack pull them out, let them sit for 5 so they’re not too hard, and YUM!!!! I think they taste way better than non-frozen!

I agree with all your tips but a diet pill?!? Really?? It says most will lose 5-10 lbs in 6 months. I romose you can do that by making changes to your diet, watching portion size and moving more. I lost 27 lbs in less than 4 months by joining weight watchers and walking. It doesn’t have to be ww though- track on MyFitnessPal or a similar app. Just stay away from pills that have been proven to be a waste of money and not good for you time and time again. There is no quick fix. But I promise, small consistent changes will add up to big results!!

Awesome tips! I start my journey then when I lost my mom suddenly I lost my motivation; then I realized I was still grieving. Its 8months now & I am getting back to the progress. Started with the 21 fit (meal prep) joining a new gym with plenty of classes that I don’t get borwd so easily. Looking forward to a new me in 2017!! This is encouraging. Thank You?

Channell, Thank you for sharing that. I lost my mom about 2 1/2 years ago. I had just signed up for my first half marathon and she was so proud of me. She passed away about a week later and it was o hard for me to want to do anything much less a half marathon! I still did it, walking most of it, but I finished and it felt so good! I felt like she was by my side the entire way!

If you ever need motivation, or encouragement please feel free to email me to find me on Instagram. I can always use an accountability partner!

Hi I copied down your chart, both actually. I was on Ali once before and didn’t like the side effects. Alcohol is a down fall so that will be eliminate. I don’t have a buddy either but I will do this and excersise.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

I'm Kate. I'm a wife and stay at home mom of three great kids. I love my family and friends, relaxing with a latte and reading a good book. This is just my piece of the internet where I share the recipes I try and the crafts & DIY projects I make. I hope you'll stick around.

Archives

Archives

Disclosure: The Colbert Clan may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and purchase something that I recommend. Clicking these links won’t cost you any money and they will help me keep my site up and running! Please check out The Colbert Clan’s disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!